“You think that this man—” began Mr. Stapley, indicating the wheelbarrow’s passenger who had said no word, but only sat hugging his leg and looking very pale.
“Yes sir, Mr. Stapley, that there feller is one o’ the two men I seen. I’m as sure of it as I am that the sun riz yest’day mornin’! I’ll take a bunch of oaths on it ez big ez the mill prop’ty! Knowed him soon’s I seen him.”
“Thank you, Davis. Go back to bed and I hope you’re better—”
A cheer, at first uncertain, then growing in volume and intent, interrupted the mill president.
“Hurrah for the kids!” it began; then; “That’s the stuff!” “Sure they turned the trick!” “Them kids is some fellers!” and: “Whoop ’em up!” Both boys were caught up on the shoulders of the crowd and passing Strang someone shouted:
“Say, Constable, you ain’t got a blamed thing t’ say, so shut up!”
“Ben, you and Phil get this fellow down to the mill hospital and stay with him,” ordered Mr. Stapley. “The doctor will be here any minute. Mr. Strang, hold on to Shultz; he was giving these men asylum and we all know his sentiments. Better lock him up and we’ll work the legal proceedings tomorrow. As for the boys, I won’t stand for any action to be taken against them, unless the district attorney insists, and I don’t believe he will. They may have exceeded their rights, but you see the result. Good-night, Strang. Come on, men; we’ll go back to work. You boys had better go home and get some sleep; you both need it. We’ll talk the whole matter over tomorrow.”
But when the morrow came, a little late in the morning, the talk was prefaced by a bit of news. A few hours before the bearded German had eluded his jailors just long enough to swallow a dose of poison and he had died in half a minute and almost without a tremor. Prussic acid, Doctor Richards said, and added that the wound inflicted by Don’s bullet was a mere flesh scratch in the leg and had only caused a temporary paralysis, largely imaginary. In the darkness the boy had aimed to hit the fellow just above the knee.
They were all at the Stapley mansion, most comfortably seated. The president of the mills and the doctor were old friends, knowing nothing of the long feud between the lads here in the town and at Brighton, and now pleased that the boys had acted together.